


Mind the Gap

by rudbeckia



Series: Spookylux Huxloween 2018 [20]
Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Ghosts, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-20
Updated: 2018-10-20
Packaged: 2019-08-04 03:41:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,018
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16339151
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rudbeckia/pseuds/rudbeckia
Summary: Huxloween day 20: Abandoned locationsHux has brought Ben along to help scout out a location to build and test “Starkiller” in secret. Ben’s annoyed because he doesn’t know why Hux insisted on bringing him to a disused tube station after the trains stopped running, and Hux is annoyed by something he interprets as Ben’s lack of care. Their argument is interrupted by a surprising arrival, but exactly what are these “ghosts” they think they see?





	Mind the Gap

Water dripped from the arched roof, plinking through the eerie silence into puddles on the concrete and gravel underfoot. Ovals of light pushed through the darkness, slicing this way and that as head torches tracked the route ahead. Somewhere to the side, scrabbling claws scraped the stones as something small scurried out of sight. Hux felt the strange desire to give chase, to stalk and pounce, but he suppressed this new urge. “We’re here,” he announced as the walls and roof opened out and up.  
Ben raked the beam from his torch over the cavern. He settled his light on a sign on the wall.  
“King Street,” he said, then hauled himself up onto the platform that had not felt the weight of passengers for a hundred years. “Hux, why are we here?”  
“I need an underground build and test facility for Starkiller,” replied Hux. “Somewhere with transport links. From here First Order could run a tube train overnight to and from...” He shrugged. “Anywhere we like, really. So we could supply the facility easily with minimal outside knowledge. We have an agent on the inside who deals with our security requirements.”  
“No cameras then,” said Ben. Hux's torch light bobbed up and down twice. “Couldn’t your agent have opened the access directly from the old station building and rigged up some lights? Saved us a trek through the tunnels in the dark?”  
Hux laughed. “Oh, there’s no station any more. The original was demolished decades ago. The building on the surface will belong to First Order in due course.” Hux smirked. “The owner is about to receive notice of a buildings inspection. They will find asbestos and that will make our offer significantly more attractive.”  
“So next time we won’t risk being flattened by an oncoming train,” said Ben.  
Hux laughed again. “Really, there is no risk of that. The branch line this station is on has been out of use since the First World War. No trains have been past here since then.”

As if the old rails heard and disapproved, a crackle of blue-white sparks shot along the power rail and into the curve of the tunnel, lighting up the damp-stained, crumbling brickwork with harsh lightning flashes. Ben flinched at the sound. Hux poked him.  
“Seeing ghosts?”  
“No,” Ben frowned. “Look, why did you insist that I come with you? I don’t work for First Order Technologies. What exactly _is_ Starkiller? Apart from a stupid, overblown name that a thirteen year old gamer might’ve thought up. You can’t kill a star.”  
Hux’s glare was lost in the darkness as both their head torches extinguished. Hux held himself straight, shoulders back. “I happen to think it is a very fitting name, I’ll have you know.”  
Ben took off his torch and fiddled with it. Hux tapped at his own. “Did you bring the spare batteries?” Hux asked.  
“What? No. You said we’d be down here an hour tops. The batteries last plenty longer than that.”  
Hux tightened his lips. “Well then, despite evidence to the contrary, we can’t possibly be stuck here in pitch dark if the batteries are still fine.”  
“What do you mean, stuck here?” said Ben a little sharply.  
“I mean,” said Hux, “we can’t navigate that tunnel by feel and there’s no signal down here.”

Ben snapped. “This is bullshit! Hux, what the actual fuck did you drag me down here for? There was nothing wrong with the torches or the batteries. They were new. They should be fucking working! You should have... have... Done something that isn’t getting me stuck in a dark fucking tunnel underground for no reason!”  
“I had a reason!” Hux yelled back. “I was going to ask you—“  
Whatever Hux planned to say next was drowned out by the buzz, whoosh and rumble of an approaching train. Hux grabbed Ben and pulled him into a recess in the wall beside a pile of rubble that spilled from where a staircase once led up to street level. They peered, Ben’s head peeking out just above Hux’s, at the track. A train screeched and slowed to a grinding halt. Doors opened and soldiers stepped off then stood in rank and file on the platform. Someone shouted an order that Hux did not understand and the company marched towards their hiding place. Ben clutched tightly around Hux’s middle. Hux tried to press back further into their cubby. There was nowhere to go. Any second, someone would cry out and they would be discovered and captured. Hux silently imagined being dragged in front of Tarkin’s successor at Empire Dynamics and made to hand over his precious Starkiller plans. He closed his eyes and screwed up his face. By all accounts, though rumours were not to be trusted, Vader was even more ruthless than Tarkin.

“Hux! Hux!” Ben was shaking his shoulder. Hux opened his eyes to witness the soldiers marching to the blocked stairwell and walking right through the rubble as if it had no substance. The last soldier vanished, the train set off with a hiss and a screech, the strange blue sparks followed it into the tunnel and their head torches came back on. Ben blinked. “What the fuck did I just see?”  
“Ghosts?” said Hux. “But you don’t believe in ghosts.”  
“Those uniforms,” Ben said. “First World War?”  
“No,” Hux shook his head and frowned in thought. “Those would have been rough, khaki tunics, two pockets, poor fit. These uniforms were much more... sleek. Black or teal, belted, a few dressed in grey seemed to be giving orders. They had nice caps.”   
“Did you see the ones in white body armour?” said Ben. “They looked terrifying.”  
Hux shivered. “What if... No. It’s silly.”  
“What if what?” said Ben. “I’d believe anything right now.”  
“What if they were not ghost soldiers from the past, but from the future?”  
Ben sighed. “I don’t want to believe in ghosts. Can we please go now?”  
“Very well,” Hux said. “As soon as we get back to the surface I’m calling an executive meeting. We need to build Starkiller as soon as possible.”


End file.
